Flexible water-resistant sensor tag

ABSTRACT

A method for configuring a sensor tag may include providing a flexible substrate layer comprising a thin film of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU); depositing a sensor inlay on the flexible substrate layer; and applying a protective coating over the sensor inlay encapsulating the sensor inlay between the flexible substrate layer and the protective coating.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a Continuation of U.S. Non-Provisional applicationSer. No. 16/825,448, entitled “FLEXIBLE WATER-RESISTANT SENSOR TAG” andfiled Mar. 20, 2020, which claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication Ser. No. 62/941,402, entitled “FLEXIBLE WATER-RESISTANTSENSOR TAG” and filed on Nov. 27, 2019, and U.S. Provisional ApplicationSer. No. 62/939,757, entitled “FLEXIBLE WATER-RESISTANT SENSOR TAG” andfiled on Nov. 25, 2019, which are expressly incorporated by referenceherein in each of their entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to sensor tags (e.g., RadioFrequency Identification (RFID) tags) which may be attached to orincorporated into textile or other items. More particularly, the presentdisclosure relates to a thin, flexible sensor tag having a waterresistant coating.

BACKGROUND

In the retail industry, it would be advantageous to provide sensor tags,such as RFID tags, which can be attached to textile or other items sothat the sensor tag becomes an integrated (and difficult to detect) partof the item. In some aspects, for example, it would also be advantageousto provide a sensor tag for garments and the like that is designed to beattached to the garment permanently. Such a tag would need to be highlywater resistant so as to be impervious to repeated washings.

One drawback of tagging goods with RFID and other sensor devices forpurposes of theft prevention is that the tag itself is often visible tothieves. Shoplifters in many cases are able to locate the RFID tag andsimply remove, disable, or shield an RFID element to evade detection byexit portal RFID readers.

A less obtrusive, smaller, and harder to detect RFID solution is needed,in particular due to the increasing importance of a Radio FrequencyIdentification (RFID) technology for retail logistics.

Some known systems use electronic thread technologies allowing forelectronics to be integrated into textiles. In one aspect,microelectronic components (such as RFID chips) may be attached to afabric using conductive thread (e-thread) which is woven into thefabric. The e-thread provides the metal antenna for the RFID chip. Inanother aspect, a pattern of conductive ink may be applied to fabric tocreate an electronic circuit including electronic components attached tothe fabric. Yet another aspect allows fully-functional, self-containedelectronic components to be entirely sheathed within a segment of threador yarn. These segments of thread or yarn may be woven into thetextiles. In one example, an RFID chip, antennas, and associatedenergy-harvesting circuitry may be included within a segment of threador yarn. In still other examples, other loss prevention technologies maybe included within a portion of thread or yarn.

It would be highly advantageous to insert an RFID tag and antennadirectly into the textile product/clothing garment that is intended tobe protected by the RFID tag. As described above, known techniquesinclude sheathing the RFID component into a thread or yarn that can besewn into the cloth. However, it has been difficult and requires aspecial machine to install the thread into the clothing. In order tohave physical strength, the wire is coated by a thick coating. Thiscauses the thread to be felt by someone touching the garment, and thethread can be seen after the garment has been ironed. In addition, thecost of this solution is high. The RFID-containing wires in the currentsolutions are thick and do not meet the customer needs.

SUMMARY

The following presents a simplified summary of one or more aspects inorder to provide a basic understanding of such aspects. This summary isnot an extensive overview of all contemplated aspects, and is intendedto neither identify key or critical elements of all aspects nordelineate the scope of any or all aspects. Its sole purpose is topresent some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form as aprelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

The present disclosure provides systems, apparatuses, and methods forproviding sensor tags that are sealed and flexible.

In an aspect, a method for configuring a sensor tag includes printingone or more antennas on a flexible substrate layer using a conductiveink; depositing one or more sensors on the flexible substrate layer,where at least one of the one or more sensors is deposited to makeelectric contact with at least one of the one or more antennas; andapplying a coating layer over the one or more sensors.

In another aspect, a sensor tag includes a flexible substrate layer; oneor more antennas printed on the flexible substrate layer using aconductive ink; one or more sensors deposited on the flexible substratelayer, where at least one of the one or more sensors is deposited tomake electric contact with at least one of the one or more antennas; anda coating layer applied over the one or more sensors.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the one or moreaspects comprise the features hereinafter fully described andparticularly pointed out in the claims. The following description andthe annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative featuresof the one or more aspects. These features are indicative, however, ofbut a few of the various ways in which the principles of various aspectsmay be employed, and this description is intended to include all suchaspects and their equivalents.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosed aspects will hereinafter be described in conjunction withthe appended drawings, provided to illustrate and not to limit thedisclosed aspects, wherein like designations denote like elements, andin which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a first example sensor tag according tosome present aspects;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a second example sensor tag accordingto some present aspects;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a third example sensor tag according tosome present aspects;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a fourth example sensor tag accordingto some present aspects; and

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of an example method of configuring a sensortag according to some present aspects.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appendeddrawings is intended as a description of various configurations and isnot intended to represent the only configurations in which the conceptsdescribed herein may be practiced. The detailed description includesspecific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understandingof various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled inthe art that these concepts may be practiced without these specificdetails. In some instances, well known components may be shown in blockdiagram form in order to avoid obscuring such concepts.

Aspects of the present disclosure provide a sensor tag, such as apassive RFID tag, which is thin, flexible, and highly water-resistant,and can be discreetly attached to or otherwise incorporated into manydifferent types of items. The flexible, water-resistant sensor tag isparticularly suitable to be incorporated into textile items, such asgarments, and can be discreetly disposed within the item so as to beconcealed from view. The sensor tag can be submersed in water withoutdamage to the sensor inlay, and can withstand repeated laundering.

Turning now to the figures, example aspects are depicted with referenceto one or more components described herein, where components in dashedlines may be optional.

Referring to FIG. 1, in one non-limiting aspect, a flexible,water-resistant sensor tag 100 includes a sensor 102 disposed between aflexible substrate layer 104 and a coating layer 106. In some aspects,the sensor 102 may be an RFID sensor. However, the present aspects arenot limited to an RFID sensor, and any combination and number ofdifferent sensors within a single sensor tag may be desirable for eachspecific application. For example, in some aspects, the sensor 102 mayinclude more than one sensor, and each sensor may be an RFID sensor ormay be another type of sensor. In some non-limiting aspects, forexample, the sensor 102 may include one or more Electronic ArticleSurveillance (EAS) sensors instead of or in addition to one or more RFIDsensors, and each EAS sensor may emit a detectable signal in response toan interrogation field. In some non-limiting aspects, for example, thesensor 102 may include one or more Near-field communication (NFC) and/orone or more acousto-magnetic (AM) sensors instead of or in addition toone or more RFID sensors and/or one or more EAS sensors.

In an aspect, for example, the sensor 102 may include an RFID inlayincluding an integrated circuit (IC) connected to an antenna 108. TheRFID inlay may be affixed/applied to the flexible substrate layer 104,which may have a polymer thick film composition. In one non-limitingaspect, for example, the flexible substrate layer 104 may be made ofthermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). In one non-limiting aspect, theantenna 108 may be printed onto the TPU substrate using conductive ink.Then, a second protective polymer layer preferably made of a flexiblematerial such as TPU may be applied as a protective overcoat over thesensor 102 to provide the coating layer 106. Accordingly, a sealedencapsulating TPU layer is formed to house the RFID inlay.

In an alternative aspect, the flexible substrate layer 104 may be madeof fabric, woven cloth, or any other type of flexible, sew-ablematerial. In some aspects, a stretchable, semi-elastic type of clothfabric may be particularly suitable for the flexible substrate later106. The sensor 102 may be applied to the fabric substrate, and then athin, protective polymer layer, such as TPU, may be applied over thefabric substrate to seal the RFID inlay between the fabric and the TPU.

As described above, a TPU layer may be applied to provide the coatinglayer 106 over the RFID inlay. Alternatively, referring to FIG. 2, inaspects where the flexible substrate layer 104 is made of fabric, a TPUcoating may be applied to both sides of the fabric substrate to providean encapsulating layer 110 that provides a protective, sealed,water-resistant housing for the electronic components applied to thefabric substrate. In some non-limiting aspects, the encapsulating layer110 is a protective coating layer of TPU that can be positioned on thefabric substrate so that the sensor tag 100 has an edge portionproviding a TPU-free margin. This edge portion which does not have a TPUcoating may be used as the sewing edge when the sensor tag 100 is sewninto the garment.

In aspects where fabric is used for the flexible substrate layer 104,conductive inks may be used to print the antenna 108 directly on thefabric. Alternatively, the fabric may include conductive threads whichare woven into the fabric to provide the antenna 108. In some aspects,the conductive thread may be woven into the fabric to provide somedegree of elasticity so that the conductive traces are stretchable.

Referring to FIG. 3, in yet another alternative aspect, the flexiblesubstrate layer 104 may be made of fabric, or any other type offlexible, sew-able material, and the flexible substrate layer 104 mayhave a thin film of TPU 112 applied to at least one side such that theTPU film 112 provides a substrate for the application of the sensor 102.After the electronic components (e.g., the sensor 102, the antenna 108,etc.) are applied to the TPU film 112, another layer of TPU may beapplied to provide the coating layer 106 and thereby encapsulate thesensor 102 between two TPU layers: (1) the coating layer 106; and (2)the TPU film 112 on the fabric substrate. In some aspects, the TPU film112 and/or the coating layer 106 may be positioned on the fabricsubstrate such that the sensor tag 100 has a fabric edge portionproviding a TPU-free margin. This edge portion which does not have a TPUcoating may be used as the sewing edge when the sensor tag 100 is sewninto a garment.

In the present aspects, the sensor tag 100 may be flexible, bendable,stretchable, or otherwise configured/constructed to sustaindeformations. Also, the flexibility of the sensor tag 100 allows for thesensor tag 100 to be constructed and arranged so that the aforementioneddeformations do not negatively affect the functionality and operation ofthe electronic components disposed within the sensor tag 100 (e.g., thesensor 102, the antenna 108, etc.).

In some aspects, the sensor tag 100 may be manufactured to satisfystandards of environmental sustainability. For example, in some aspects,a natural-fiber fabric may be used as the flexible substrate layer 104(or as a portion of the flexible substrate layer 104) so that the sensortag 100 incorporates less plastic material than conventional sensortags. For example, the sensor tag 100 may be manufactured usingnatural-fiber fabric substrates that are sustainable in nature,particularly if the fabric is non-polyester. In some alternativeaspects, the flexible fabric substrate may be made of a textilemanufactured from recycled plastics, thus allowing the sensor tag 100 tobe manufactured to satisfy sustainability requirements.

As described herein, in some aspects, the sensor 102 disposed in thesensor tag 100 may be any type of sensor. For example, in an aspect, thesensor 102 may be an EAS sensor or an RFID sensor. In some furtheraspects, the sensor tag 100 may include more than one sensor of the sametype or of different types. For example, referring to FIG. 4, in onenon-limiting aspect, the sensor tag 100 may include a first sensor 114and a second sensor 116, where the first sensor is an RFID sensor andthe second sensor 116 is an EAS sensor. Accordingly, the sensor tag 100has dual technology functionality (both RFID and EAS).

In an aspect, the EAS sensor may be a sensor of the type used in AcoustoMagnetic (AM) systems. In one non-limiting aspect, for example, thedetectors in an AM system emit periodic bursts at 58 KHz, which causes adetectable resonant response in an AM tag. A security tag in a 58 KHzsystem may also be implemented as an electric circuit resonant at 58kHz. In an aspect, the EAS sensor to be incorporated into the sensor tag100 may have a small and substantially flat form factor, and may have adegree of flexibility.

In FIG. 4, in order to manufacture the sensor tag 100, both the firstsensor 114 and the second sensor 116 may be applied to the flexiblesubstrate layer 104. Then, a coating layer 106 of TPU may be appliedonto both the first sensor 114 and the second sensor 116 to provide asealing layer of TPU coating.

In some aspects, the sensor tag 100 described herein with reference tovarious aspects may be configured to be flexible and also impervious todetergents, water, grease, oil, dirt, harsh chemicals, etc. In somenon-limiting aspects, for example, the sensor 102 within the sensor tag100 includes an RFID inlay that provides flexibility so that the chipand antenna of the RFID inlay can be repeatedly stretched and deformedwithout damaging the functionality of the sensor 102.

In some non-limiting aspects, the sensor tag 100 described herein withreference to various aspects may be attached to, or otherwiseincorporated into, any type of apparel and garments, handbags, belts,shoes, caps, hats, scarves, ties and other accessory items, etc. Forexample, in one non-limiting aspect, the sensor tag 100 may be hiddenbehind the seams of running shoes. The sensor tag 100 may also be usedfor household-type textiles, such as bed furnishings, window curtains,pillows, furniture cushions, blinds, table cloths, napkins, etc. Thesensor tag 100 may also be incorporated into camping tents and textileutility items, such as tarps. The sensor tag 100 is also suitable forapplication to rubber or plastic goods. While the sensor tag 100 may beparticularly suitable for attachment to goods of a flexible, pliantnature (such as textiles), the sensor tag 100 may also be attached tohard goods. In an aspect, for example, in use with hard goods, thesensor tag 100 may be positioned in an interior portion of an item, suchas an inaccessible interior cavity. It will be understood that a list ofpossible applications for the sensor tag 100 would be exhaustive innature, and are not limited to those mentioned herein.

In some aspects, the sensor tag 100 described herein with reference tovarious aspects may be integrated into an item in such a way that thesensor tag 100 is hidden or wholly undetectable when attached to theitem. For example the sensor tag 100 may be discretely sewn into agarment. The sensor tag 100 may also be disposed in the hem, in a seam,in a shirt collar, in a waistband, etc. The sensor tag 100 may beconstructed using a soft, flexible substrate (e.g., TPU and/or fabric)and a sealing layer which is a flexible material coating (e.g., TPU).Since the sensor tag 100 is soft and flexible, a person wearing orhandling the item to which the sensor tag 100 is attached may not feelthe presence of the sensor tag 100. This also ensures that the sensortag 100 will not irritate a person's skin by continued contact withprotruding components.

In some aspects, the sensor tag 100 described herein with reference tovarious aspects may also be constructed to visually blend with anarticle. For example, if a fabric substrate is used, the fabricsubstrate may be chosen to be the same color as the item to which thesensor tag 100 is attached. The flexible fluid resistive material laymay be a colored TPU material which matches the color of item to whichthe sensor tag 100 is attached. In some aspects, the sensor tag 100 mayalso be suitable for integration into a brand label since the TPU can becolorless or can be a specific color that merges with a background colorand be discrete. For example, in an aspect, the brand logo may bethermal printed on one side of a brand label, and the sensor tag 100 maybe heat sealed to the opposite side of the brand label. Since the sensortag 100 is configured to avoid bleed through into the substrate, theapplication of the sensor tag 100 to the brand label will not disturbthe brand logo.

In some aspects, after application to an item, the sensor tag 100described herein with reference to various aspects may be used in manydifferent types of systems where data communication with the sensor tag100 is desired. In an aspect, for example, the sensor tag 100 may beconfigured to facilitate inventory management. In this regard, thesensor tag 100 may be configured for allowing data to be exchanged withan external device, such as a tag reader, via wireless communicationtechnology. In addition to the RFID inlay and the EAS sensor describedabove, the electronics incorporated into the textile may enable anysuitable radio communications protocol for a given mode of use, such asShort Range Communications (SRC) , Near Field Communication (NFC),Bluetooth, ZigBee, etc.

In one non-limiting aspect, for example, the sensor tag 100 describedherein with reference to various aspects may include an RFID sensor, andthe presence of the sensor tag 100 within a garment may be a part of aReturn Authenticity system as may be implemented by a retailer. Inanother non-limiting aspect, for example, the data communicationscapability of the sensor tag 100 may also be utilized by individuals whohave purchased the item to which the sensor tag 100 is attached. Thedurability of the sensor tag 100 may allow for utilizing the sensor tag100, which remains embedded within the item to which the sensor tag 100is attached, long after the item has been purchased. To this end, thesensor tag 100 may be configured to withstand multiple wash/dry cyclesas would occur during normal use of a tagged garment.

For example, in one non-limiting aspect, a tag reader device may be usedin a household environment to read data from the sensor tag 100, thusenabling a person to precisely locate a certain item using a tag readerdevice. In another aspect, for example, a home closet may be configuredto read the tags of garments located within the closet, thus allowing anindividual to instantly electronically inventory their own personalbelongings.

In an aspect, the sensor tag 100 described herein with reference tovarious aspects may be configured to conform to privacy laws regardingpersonal consumer data, which may vary by jurisdiction. For example, inEuropean Union (EU) countries, consumer data collection needs to complywith the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In this case, thesensor tag 100 may be brought into GDPR compliance by selecting an RFIDchip which is GDPR compliant.

The use of TPU material as described herein provides a sensor tag 100having high degree of flexibility as compared to conventional tags whichuse polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as a substrate. The sensor tag 100described herein with reference to various aspects may tolerate extremedeformation stresses in applications were conventional tags with PETsubstrates are not sufficiently elastic.

As described herein, in some aspects, the sensor tag 100 may incorporateTPU as both the inlay substrate and the protective coating, or may useTPU to envelope and seal an RFID inlay on another type of flexible,semi-distortable substrate. In aspects in which TPU material is used toform the flexible substrate layer 104, a type of conductive ink that iscompatible with TPU may be used to form the antenna 108. Such suitableconductive inks may include, but are not limited to, inks incorporatingelectrically conductive powders such as silver metal powder, alloys ofsilver metal powder, or mixtures thereof. In some aspects, the antenna108 may be formed by a conductive ink type that retains a stretchable,elastic quality after application to the flexible substrate layer 104.This ensures that the circuit of the sensor 102 remains functional evenwhen the sensor tag 100 is subjected to distortional stress.

In some aspects, the conductive ink may be applied to the substrate byscreen printing, where the screen mesh size controls the thickness ofthe deposited thick film. In some alternative aspects, the conductiveink may be applied to the substrate by stencil printing, ink jetprinting, or coating techniques. In one non-limiting aspect, forexample, the conductive ink may be screen printed on a stretchedsubstrate by dropping or depositing the conductive ink through a nozzlewith a thickness of, e.g., 15 to 20 microns. In aspects where thestretched substrate is made of TPU, the substrate does not change shapeafter being released from the stretch, and therefore preserves thegeometry of the antenna 108 that is printed thereon. In some aspect, theconductive ink may be a gelatinous liquid that does not spread beyondthe intended printing area. In one non-limiting aspect, the antenna 108formed by screen printing using a conductive ink may have a width of,e.g., 3 mm on a substrate having a width of 4 mm. In aspects where thesensor 102 includes an RFID sensor, a wider antenna may allow for afaster response time. In contrast, known systems that use a copper wireto form the antenna 108 are unable to provide a wide antenna. Since theantenna 108 in these aspects is formed by screen printing as opposed tochemical processes such as chemical etching, sustainability requirementsare also satisfied.

As described herein, in some aspects where the flexible substrate layer104 is made of TPU, the antenna 108 may be directly printed on TPU asthe paste is interacting with TPU. Alternatively, in some aspects, aninterlayer paste may be introduced on top of TPU, where the interlayerpaste has a thickness of, for example, 25 microns to enable printing ofthe antenna 108 with silver ink and still maintainsuppleness/flexibility. In some aspects, for example, a micro-silver inkmay be used instead of or in addition to a nano-silver ink for screenprinting the antenna 108 onto the TPU substrate.

In one non-limiting aspect, the antenna 108 may be formed in ameandering shape.

Alternatively, the antenna 108 may be formed in a rectangular shape oras one or more straight strips of conductive ink. However, the shape ofthe antenna 108 is not limited to the above, and the antenna 108 mayhave a different shape or a combination of different shapes.

The applied conductive ink may then be oven dried or thermally cured. Inone non-limiting aspect, for example, the conductive ink may be cured ona nylon or polyester fabric substrate through a progressive cure cycle.In this case, as the progressive cure cycle cures the conductive ink,the fabric substrate does not melt, while the conductive ink adheres tothe fabric substrate but does not drain/seep through the fabricsubstrate.

In one non-limiting aspect, after the conductive ink is cured, a sensorchip may be configured on the flexible substrate layer 104 so as to makeproper contact with the antenna 108 formed by the conductive ink. Then,a layer of polyurethane having a thickness of, e.g., about 50 microns,may be heat sealed (e.g., using a heat gun) to provideresistance/protection against abrasion, oil, water, grease, etc. In someaspects, the resulting sensor tag 100 may withstand, for example, twolaundry washes at 30□ with a typical detergent. In some aspects, theresulting sensor tag 100 may withstand processes such as ironing,bleaching, disinfecting, etc.

In an aspect, a plurality of sensor tags 100 described herein withreference to various aspects may be fabricated using an elongated singlepiece of substrate, which may be TPU, fabric, or fabric having a TPUfilm applied thereon. In an aspect, for example, a series of electroniccomponents may be coupled to the substrate so as to be separated fromeach other with equal or unequal amounts of substrate. Then, a TPUcoating layer may be applied to the entire length of the substrate whichhas the series of electronic components coupled thereon. The length ofnarrow substrate may then be cut into separate sensor tags 100 by anapplicator machine at the time the sensor tags 100 are to be attached toan item.

In some aspects, as described herein with reference to various aspects,the one or more sensors 102 to be incorporated into the sensor tags 100may be any type of sensor which can be produced with a relatively small,flat profile. In addition to the sensor types already described, the oneor more sensors 102 may also include bio-sensors for detecting thephysiological status of a person. For example, in an aspect, a sensortag 100 embedded in a garment may include a sensor 102 configured todetect a wearer's heart rate. In another example aspect, a sensor tag100 integrated into a garment may include a sensor 102 configured tosense a garment wearer's position (e.g., standing up, sitting, etc.).Other non-limiting example types of sensors 102 which can beincorporated into the sensor tag 100 are sensors which can sense thelocation of the wearer and/or the wearer's movement pattern (e.g.,running, standing still, etc.). Suitable sensor implementations include,but are not limited to, a capacitive strain sensor, a conductive inkcapacitive sensor, a conductive ink electrode sensor, a conductive inkresistive sensor, a fiber optic sensor, a metal electrode sensor, anoptical sensor such as an optical probe sensor or an optical sourcesensor (e.g., a laser, a light emitting diode (LED), etc.), a piezoresistive strain gauge sensor, a semiconductor sensor (e.g., a forcesensor, a gyroscope, a magneto-resistor sensor, a photodiode sensor, aphototransistor sensor, a pressure sensor, and/or a tri-axisaccelerometer).

In some aspects, the sensor tag 100 described herein with reference tovarious aspects may have a flexible substrate layer 104 that is made offabric (e.g., polyester, nylon, non-polyester material, etc.), TPU,rubber, etc.

In some aspect, the sensor tag 100 described herein with reference tovarious aspects may include an antenna 108 that is formed on theflexible substrate layer 104 using a conductive ink such as a silver orcopper based ink. Unlike conventional sensor tags that implement anantenna using a wire that is either stitched or woven into a substrateand thus can easily be defeated or get disconnected, the antenna 108 inthe present aspects is formed using a conductive ink and is thereforemore robust. Further, conductive ink-based RFID sensors are relativelycheaper and faster to manufacture compared to RFID sensors with antennasformed with stitched thread or weaved thread into the substrate. In someaspect, the antenna 108 formed using a conductive ink on a fabric or TPUsubstrate is more flexible and less rigid and therefore causes lessperformance issues as compared to a copper thread woven or stitched intoa substrate. For example, in cases where copper wire is woven orstitched into the substrate to form a conductor, wire stretch may causea change in impedance and therefore may impact RFID read performance. Incontrast, conductive ink based sensors are more robust to such stretcheffects.

In some aspects where the flexible substrate layer 104 is made offabric, the fabric may have a nylon taffeta or polyester taffeta weavethat helps the conductive ink adhere on top of the substrate.

In some aspects where the flexible substrate layer 104 is made offabric, the fabric may be a Polyurethane coated fabric (PU) that allowsfor forming the antenna 108 by deposition of conductive ink on thesurface of the fabric without any seepage. In one non-limiting aspect,the coating layer 106 may be formed by applying another layer of suchfabric on top of the base fabric on which the antenna 108 is printed.Accordingly, sealing/protection of the sensor 102 is provided by PUcoating on the fabric against grease/oil, water, abrasion.Alternatively, the coating layer 106 may be formed by applying colorlessor colored TPU on top of the fabric substrate on which the antenna 108is printed. In an aspect, for example, colored TPU may be used for thecoating layer 106 to hide the antenna 108. In some aspects, for example,the thicknesses of the fabric substrate may be varied as per a useprofile related to the integration needs of a garment.

In some aspects where the flexible substrate layer 104 is made of apolyester/satin fabric coated with polyurethane (e.g., PU fabric), thetemperatures for drying the conductive ink (e.g., silver) may beselected such that the PU does not soften and also the fabric does notburn.

In some aspects where the flexible substrate layer 104 is made of TPU,the thickness of the TPU substrate may vary from 100˜200 microns. Insome aspects, the TPU is a thermoset Polyurethane that is able towithstand drying the conductive ink (Silver) at some temperatures, butthe TPU may thermally degrade at some higher temperatures. To laminatethe TPU substrate for protection, a similar layer of TPU may be usedhaving a same thickness or being thicker than the substrate to providethe coating layer 106.

In some aspects, the conductive ink used for forming the antenna 108 maybe a conductive ink including silver nanoparticles in a solvent.

In some aspects, the sensor 102 may include a ceramic integrated circuit(IC, as provided by Impinj, NXP, EM, or a custom ASIC). The ceramic ICmay include a chip loop antenna made of aluminum etched on PET materialmay have a pressure-sensitive adhesive such that the chip loop can becoupled to the antenna 108 formed on a fabric or TPU substrate.

In one aspect, for example, the sensor tag 100 may have small width,e.g., 5 mm, allowing it to be introduced in between a lap seam of agarment such as a t-shirt. The leap weave may be used to seal two piecesof cloth and may be between 4.8 mm and 5.2 mm. Accordingly, since thesensor tag 100 is integrated into a lap seam, the sensor tag 100 doesnot disturb the design of the garment. In contrast, conventional sensortags that include copper wires may appear a protrusion and may be feltby a person wearing a garment to which that tag is attached. In someaspects, multiple flexible sensor tags 100 conforming to multiplefrequency bands (e.g., European Union (EU) bands, North American bands,etc.) may be integrated into such a leap seam.

In one non-limiting example aspect, the flexible substrate layer 104 maybe a strip of fabric substrate. Also, the coating layer 106 may be madeof fabric, such as a PU cover with a 50 micron thickness, thus providinga fabric-on-fabric sensor tag 100. In this example aspect, the sensortag 100 may be up to 4 mm wide and 136 mm long, with no curvature and noplasticized surface. Accordingly, the fabric-on-fabric sensor tag 100may be supple but still maintain straightness, hence providingimprovement over TPU-on-fabric sensor tags 100. Further, thefabric-on-fabric sensor tag 100 is more robust and thereforeparticularly suitable for feeding through fixtures. Additionally, thefabric-on-fabric sensor tag 100 maintains straightness thus bettermaintaining co-planarity and providing more consistent RFID reads. Yetfurther, the fabric-on-fabric sensor tag 100 does not impact the fall ofa garment or interfere with design aesthetics. Additionally, thefabric-on-fabric sensor tag 100 may be water proof to a certain extentas the fabric is already coated with TPU.

In addition to the aspects disclosed herein, the above-describedfeatures, advantages and characteristics of the sensor tag 100 may becombined in any suitable manner in one or more additional aspects. Oneskilled in the relevant art will recognize, in light of the descriptionherein, that the present solution can be practiced without one or moreof the specific features or advantages of a particular aspect. In otherinstances, additional features and advantages may be recognized incertain aspects that may not be present in all aspects of the presentsolution.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of an example method of configuring a sensortag according to some present aspects. At 502 the method 500 includesprinting one or more antennas 108 on a flexible substrate layer 104using a conductive ink. At 504 the method 500 includes depositing one ormore sensors 102 on the flexible substrate layer 104, where at least oneof the one or more sensors 102 is deposited to make electric contactwith at least one of the one or more antennas 108. At 506 the method 500includes applying a coating layer 106 over the one or more sensors 102.

In an aspect, for example, the coating layer 106 may include a colorlessor colored TPU layer or a PU fabric layer.

In an aspect, for example, the flexible substrate layer 104 may includea TPU layer, a fabric layer, a PU fabric layer, a nylon taffeta layer, apolyester taffeta layer, or a rubber layer.

In an aspect, for example, the flexible substrate layer 104 may includea film of TPU over a fabric layer. in this aspect, the printing at 502may include printing on the film of TPU, and the depositing at 504 mayinclude depositing on the film of TPU. In an aspect, for example, theapplying at 506 may include encapsulating the one or more sensors 102between the TPU film and the coating layer 106. In an aspect, forexample, the coating layer 106 may include TPU, and the applying at 506may further include leaving a TPU-free margin around the flexiblesubstrate layer 104.

In an aspect, for example, the flexible substrate layer 104 may includea fabric layer.

In this aspect, the applying at 506 may include encapsulating the one ormore sensors 102 and at least a portion of the fabric layer within thecoating layer 106. In an aspect, for example, the coating layer 106 mayinclude TPU. In this aspect, the applying at 506 may further includeleaving a TPU-free margin around the fabric layer.

In an aspect, for example, the one or more sensors 102 may include anRFID sensor.

In an aspect, for example, the one or more sensors 102 may include anEAS sensor.

In an aspect, for example, the one or more sensors 102 may include anRFID sensor and an EAS sensor.

In an aspect, for example, the printing at 502 may include screenprinting, stencil printing, ink jet printing, or coating.

In an aspect, for example, the printing at 502 may include printing atleast a portion of the one or more antennas 108 in a stripe,rectangular, or meandering shape.

In an aspect, for example, the method 500 may further include curing theone of more antennas 108 subsequent to the printing at 502 and prior tothe depositing at 504.

In an aspect, for example, the curing may include oven drying orthermally curing.

In an aspect, for example, the applying at 506 may include laminating orheat sealing.

In an aspect, for example, the laminating or heat sealing may includeusing a heat gun.

In an aspect, for example, the conductive ink may include conductivenanoparticles in a solvent.

The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in theart to practice the various aspects described herein. Variousmodifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilledin the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied toother aspects. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to theaspects shown herein, but is to be accorded the full scope consistentwith the language claims, wherein reference to an element in thesingular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specificallyso stated, but rather “one or more.” The word “exemplary” is used hereinto mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any aspectdescribed herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed aspreferred or advantageous over other aspects. Unless specifically statedotherwise, the term “some” refers to one or more. Combinations such as“at least one of A, B, or C,” “one or more of A, B, or C,” “at least oneof A, B, and C,” “one or more of A, B, and C,” and “A, B, C, or anycombination thereof' include any combination of A, B, and/or C, and mayinclude multiples of A, multiples of B, or multiples of C. Specifically,combinations such as “at least one of” A, B, or C,” “one or more of A,B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” “one or more of A, B, and C,”and “A, B, C, or any combination thereof” may be A only, B only, C only,A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C, where any such combinationsmay contain one or more member or members of A, B, or C. All structuraland functional equivalents to the elements of the various aspectsdescribed throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to beknown to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporatedherein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims.Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to thepublic regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited inthe claims. The words “module,” “mechanism,” “element,” “device,” andthe like may not be a substitute for the word “means.” As such, no claimelement is to be construed as a means plus function unless the elementis expressly recited using the phrase “means for.”

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for configuring a sensor tag,comprising: providing a flexible substrate layer comprising a thin filmof thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU); depositing a sensor inlay on theflexible substrate layer; and applying a protective coating layer overthe sensor inlay encapsulating the sensor inlay between the flexiblesubstrate layer and the protective coating layer.
 2. The method of claim1, wherein the protective coating layer comprises a colorless or coloredthermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) layer.
 3. The method of claim 1,wherein the flexible substrate layer comprises a thermoplasticpolyurethane (TPU) layer, a fabric layer, a Polyurethane coated (PU)fabric layer, a nylon taffeta layer, a polyester taffeta layer, or arubber layer.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the flexible substratelayer comprises a film of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU); and whereinthe sensor inlay comprises an integrated circuit (IC) connected to anantenna.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the protective coating layercomprises thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU); and wherein the applyingfurther comprises leaving a TPU-free margin around the flexiblesubstrate layer.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the flexiblesubstrate layer comprises a fabric layer; and wherein the applyingcomprises encapsulating the sensor inlay and at least a portion of thefabric layer within the protective coating layer.
 7. The method of claim6, wherein the protective coating layer comprises thermoplasticpolyurethane (TPU).
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the applyingfurther comprises leaving a TPU-free margin around the fabric layer. 9.The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor inlay comprises aradio-frequency identification (RFID) sensor.
 10. The method of claim 1,wherein the sensor inlay is configured to provide flexibility so as tobe repeatedly stretched or deformed without damaging functionality ofthe sensor inlay.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor inlaycomprises an Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) sensor.
 12. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the sensor inlay comprises a radio-frequencyidentification (RFID) sensor and an Electronic Article Surveillance(EAS) sensor.
 13. A sensor tag comprising: a flexible substrate layer; asensor inlay on the flexible substrate layer; a protective coating layerover the sensor inlay encapsulating the sensor inlay between theflexible substrate layer and the protective coating layer.
 14. Thesensor tag of claim 13, wherein the protective coating layer comprises acolorless or colored thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) layer.
 15. Thesensor tag of claim 13, wherein the flexible substrate layer comprises athermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) layer, a fabric layer, a Polyurethanecoated (PU) fabric layer, a nylon taffeta layer, a polyester taffetalayer, or a rubber layer.
 16. The sensor tag of claim 13, wherein theflexible substrate layer comprises a film of thermoplastic polyurethane(TPU); and wherein the sensor inlay comprises an integrated circuit (IC)connected to an antenna.
 17. The sensor tag of claim 13, wherein thesensor inlay comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) sensor.18. The sensor tag of claim 13, wherein the sensor inlay is configuredto provide flexibility so as to be repeatedly stretched or deformedwithout damaging functionality of the sensor inlay.
 19. The sensor tagof claim 13, wherein the sensor inlay comprises an Electronic ArticleSurveillance (EAS) sensor.
 20. The sensor tag of claim 13, wherein thesensor inlay comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) sensorand an Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) sensor.